Floor plan ideas for a modern single-family house of approximately 150m², without a basement

Hello everyone,

we have just purchased a plot of land and are now at the stage of planning the house.
At the moment, we are in contact with a regional prefab house manufacturer (timber frame) whom we met at a building fair.
We have already visited them and had the initial consultation.
However, since we are not yet certain about the construction type (timber frame or solid), we will meet with a general contractor next week.
At the moment, I see slight advantages with the timber frame option (larger living area with the same footprint, standard wall already KfW 40, easier implementation of own work).
For our floor plan draft, I have drawn from several sources, but unfortunately, we are not yet satisfied with it.

Development plan/restrictions
Plot size 760m²
Slope no
Site occupancy index 0.3 (but was not complied with by previous buildings)
Floor area ratio 0.6 (but was not complied with by previous buildings)
Building window, building line and boundary see attachment
Edge development yes, garage
Number of parking spaces two per plot, min. 5m in front of the garage
Number of storeys Knee wall max. 0.50m (but was not complied with by previous buildings)
Roof shape Gable roof 30-38°, hipped roof, shed/flat roof 25%
Style ---
Orientation ---
Maximum heights/limits ---
Further requirements natural red bricks

Requirements of the builders
We are a small family, two adults aged 41 and one child aged 6. Family planning is complete.
We would like a single-family house with two full storeys, without a basement, with a double garage and a storage room as a basement replacement.
The roof shape is secondary; it should simply fit the house and the surroundings.
In the building area there are some hipped roofs and many gable roofs with roof pitches between 25-40°.
The architecture should be modern, bright, and have an open living/dining/kitchen area.
Since we only have one child, we want to set up a bedroom and a play/living room for the child on the upper floor.

Style, roof shape, building type
modern, gable roof 20-25° with knee wall 1.80-2.20m or hipped roof, shed roof, flat roof
large windows for lots of light in the house, including roller shutters for shading

Basement, number of storeys
no, two full storeys

Number of people, age
2 adults aged 41 and one child aged 6

Space requirement on ground and upper floor
total living space 150-160m²

Office: family use or home office?
office on the ground floor which could later possibly be converted into a bedroom or used as a guest room

Guests per year
none planned

Open or closed architecture
open

Conservative or modern construction method
modern

Open kitchen, kitchen island
yes, yes

Number of dining seats
Dining table with space for 6-8 people

Fireplace
no

Music/stereo wall
if possible multiroom audio

Balcony, roof terrace
no

Garage, carport
double garage + storage room as basement replacement

Utility garden, greenhouse
low-maintenance garden, lawn with irrigation system and possibly raised beds

Further wishes/special features:
photovoltaic including battery storage, KNX smart home

House design
Who created the plan:
-planner from a construction company
no
-architect
no
-do-it-yourself
yes, idea gathering from the internet and newspapers

What do you like in particular? Why?
entrance area so that dirt does not end up in the hallway,
dry access from garage to house,
spacious kitchen

What don’t you like? Why?
general appearance could be somewhat more modern, window arrangement does not convince us yet

Price estimate according to architect/planner:
400,000 euros (house KfW 40+ including double garage

Personal total price limit:
520,000 euros including land (65,000 euros), outdoor facilities, kitchen, furnishings

Preferred heating technology:
air heat pump

If you have to give up something, which details/extras
-can you live without it?
smart home and battery storage
-can you not live without it?
two full storeys, double garage, open modern construction

Why is the plan the way it is now?
A mixture of many examples from various magazines...
We wanted to get the best possible from the plot. Basically, we wanted to orient the terrace to the southwest, but unfortunately there is the street there and I don't want to be right on display. In addition, the west is the weather side with a lot of wind.

What makes it, in your eyes, particularly good or bad?
- good utilization of the plot (little free space in the north and east)
- washing machine and dryer should still be accommodated in the utility room
- entrance should not be on the side but at the front with a small roof to the garage

What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
What do you think of the plan or what could be done differently?
Should we rather plan a half-landing staircase?
Maybe raise the knee wall to 2.20m and therefore have floor-to-ceiling windows on the upper floor?
Is the bathroom on the upper floor too large?
How big should the utility room be if the washing machine and dryer also have to fit?
Is it allowed to build a utility room on the neighbor’s boundary?
Where could I possibly still accommodate a storage room as a basement replacement? I was already thinking about an extension on the paved area behind the garage. Or a gable roof on the garage?
If the entrance comes to the front, I could imagine planning the pantry to the right beside the entrance area. That would have the advantage that there would be more space in the kitchen.

We would be very grateful for any ideas or constructive criticism.

So then, I'll go ahead and start.

Personally, I really like the floor plan conceptually, but in my opinion, it has a few weak spots.

- The straight staircase limits you. I like straight staircases, but if it's not a must for you, I would consider changing that first, as you would probably gain the most optimization potential.

- Roughly estimated, about 30 sqm of hallway space (including the vestibule) is quite a lot. Mostly because of the straight staircase, but you could probably get that down a bit.

- Cloakroom? Where is that supposed to go?

- Kitchen, I like the idea; it's not as boring as a narrow corridor, but since you're isolating the pantry from the room, it becomes impractical. The island is not an island but rather a bump. What size is it supposed to be? 1.20 m? If you don't use a 60 cm cooktop but nowadays often use one with 80 cm (downdraft extractor or similar?), then not much space is left. Is it an option to leave out the pantry and simply add the three tall cabinets drawn there to the kitchen? You'd be much more flexible.

- Upstairs, due to the straight staircase, the rooms are narrow. 2.90 m is the shell measurement, right? You lose a bit more space, then consider a 2 m bed plus frame/headboard. That already gets tight. Depending on the roof pitch and kneewall height, the rooms upstairs with the sloping ceiling can also feel a bit small. But that's certainly a matter of taste.

- Storage space on the attic won't be much either. For me, that's too little for the whole house, but there are minimalists. There is still some space under the stairs.

- If your family planning is actually complete, does your child really need a second living/playroom?

Conclusion:

Basically, I like the floor plan, and I think you could make something of it with some optimization. Even if the house might be 1 meter too narrow for a straight staircase. I just wonder if it suits you and your requirements?

You lack storage/cloakroom space, have too much hallway area, and one room too many!?

In my opinion, you can now try to get something out of the existing design, or as you yourself suggested, try a different staircase and then look at what you have too much of and preferably get a proper cloakroom in there, maybe a large room upstairs for the little one and instead a utility room upstairs with some additional storage.

I don’t think the approach is bad either, but I agree with my predecessor on many points. Especially the pantry is an eyesore to me. It is basically the entrance to the kitchen. That’s crappy. When guests come, they first have to go through the junk room to greet the cook. Nobody runs around the outside first. The children’s room + guest room have an awkward shape. The bathroom is too big. There would definitely be room for a utility room there. I would just say, close but please try again.

Thank you for your suggestions! I will sit down over the next few days and draw some changes to the floor plan. We had not planned a separate cloakroom. We wanted to store wet shoes and jackets in the vestibule, and under the stairs my wife would like a built-in closet for the remaining items. I had also considered attaching the pantry to the right next to the vestibule. This would of course have the advantage that the kitchen island could be larger. Thus, the straight staircase could also be moved further towards the vestibule, thereby reducing the hallway a bit. Regarding the attic, I had completely forgotten that we want an open roof truss. So the issue of the attic is off the table. I will let myself go.

We had not planned a separate wardrobe.

This did not mean a separate room. Regardless of whether it is a built-in closet or something else, jackets/shoes etc. have to go somewhere. And you should plan for that from the start; trying to use the leftover corner usually doesn't work. It's best to have the closet drawn in for that purpose right away (or have it done).

I had also considered attaching the pantry to the right next to the vestibule. That would of course have the advantage that the kitchen island could be larger. This would also allow the straight staircase to move closer to the vestibule and reduce the hallway a bit.

If the budget allows it, you would be able to eliminate a few issues at once. I am very much in favor of that and it would also have completely different possibilities on the upper floor.

Regarding the attic, I had completely forgotten that we want an open roof truss. So the attic issue is off the table. I will let myself go a bit.

Then you should definitely think about storage space! You would have square meters available upstairs.

I don't like the kitchen at all – especially the corridor to the dining room. I am a die-hard pantry fan, but I wouldn’t want the one here. Building it to the right next to the entrance would be an idea. Could the ground floor kitchen be extended so that the kitchen becomes wider – as wide as the terrace? Well, this is coming from someone who believes the kitchen can never be big enough... but then you would have far more options.

Or, to soften the above-mentioned "corridor," the terrace corner that protrudes into the kitchen could be closed off, that is, up to the terrace door, and then the ground floor would be set back?

On the upper floor: please make the entrance to the bedroom via the dressing room. I don’t think the bathroom is too big, but if (since the door to the bedroom will be removed) you take a few centimeters from the bedroom, then there would be space between the bathroom and bedroom for a small utility room, and the washer and dryer wouldn’t have to be in the bathroom. Overall: are you sure you want the bedroom in the west? You are not planning for guests or more children, so why the huge room on the upper floor? The office is downstairs – is the room supposed to stay empty because you have two rooms upstairs attached to the bedroom?

I would still give my child a small extra bathroom, possibly a two-room solution, so no bedroom, small bathroom, children’s room. This might not be interesting now, but when the child is older, it’s great! And there would be space.

The storage issue has already been mentioned. Are you such purists that you don’t need any?

I don’t find the concept quite fitting for your situation.